The Decameron of Giovanni Boccaccio
under the stars a couple to match with the marquis and his lady, for
that, even as he was renowned among knights for every virtue, so was
she the fairest and noblest of all the ladies in the world. These
words took such hold upon the mind of the King of France that, without
having seen the marchioness, he fell of a sudden ardently in love with
her and determined to take ship for the crusade, on which he was to
go, no otherwhere than at Genoa, in order that, journeying thither by
land, he might have an honourable occasion of visiting the
marchioness, doubting not but that, the marquis being absent, he might
avail to give effect to his desire.
[Footnote 51: Or standard-bearer.]
[Footnote 52: _i.e._ the One-eyed (syn. le myope, the short-sighted,
the Italian word [_Il Bornio_] having both meanings), _i.e._ Philip
II. of France, better known as Philip Augustus.]
As he had bethought himself, so he put his thought into execution;
for, having sent forward all his power, he set out, attended only by
some few gentlemen, and coming within a day's journey of the
marquis's domains, despatched a vauntcourier to bid the lady expect
him the following morning to dinner. The marchioness, who was well
advised and discreet, replied blithely that in this he did her the
greatest of favours and that he would be welcome and after bethought
herself what this might mean that such a king should come to visit her
in her husband's absence, nor was she deceived in the conclusion to
which she came, to wit, that the report of her beauty drew him
thither. Nevertheless, like a brave lady as she was, she determined to
receive him with honour and summoning to her counsels sundry gentlemen
of those who remained there, with their help, she let provide for
everything needful. The ordinance of the repast and of the viands she
reserved to herself alone and having forthright caused collect as many
hens as were in the country, she bade her cooks dress various dishes
of these alone for the royal table.
The king came at the appointed time and was received by the lady with
great honour and rejoicing. When he beheld her, she seemed to him fair
and noble and well-bred beyond that which he had conceived from the
courtier's words, whereat he marvelled exceedingly and commended her
amain, waxing so much the hotter in his desire as he found the lady
overpassing his foregone conceit of her. After he had taken somewhat
of rest in chambers adorned to the utmost with all that pertaineth to
the entertainment of such a king, the dinner hour being come, the king
and the marchioness seated themselves at one table, whilst the rest,
according to their quality, were honourably entertained at others. The
king, being served with many dishes in succession, as well as with
wines of the best and costliest, and to boot gazing with delight the
while upon the lovely marchioness, was mightily pleased with his
entertainment; but, after awhile, as the viands followed one upon
another, he began somewhat to marvel, perceiving that, for all the
diversity of the dishes, they were nevertheless of nought other than
hens, and this although he knew the part where he was to be such as
should abound in game of various kinds and although he had, by
advising the lady in advance of his coming, given her time to send
a-hunting. However, much as he might marvel at this, he chose not to
take occasion of engaging her in parley thereof, otherwise than in the
matter of her hens, and accordingly, turning to her with a merry air,
'Madam,' quoth he, 'are hens only born in these parts, without ever a
cock?' The marchioness, who understood the king's question excellent
well, herseeming God had vouchsafed her, according to her wish, an
opportune occasion of discovering her mind, turned to him and answered
boldly, 'Nay, my lord; but women, albeit in apparel and dignities they
may differ somewhat from others, are natheless all of the same fashion
here as elsewhere.'
The King, hearing this, right well apprehended the meaning of the
banquet of hens and the virtue hidden in her speech and perceived that
words would be wasted upon such a lady and that violence was out of
the question; wherefore, even as he had ill-advisedly taken fire for
her, so now it behoved him sagely, for his own honour's sake, stifle
his ill-conceived passion. Accordingly, without making any more words
with her, for fear of her replies, he dined, out of all hope; and the
meal ended, thanking her for the honourable entertainment he had
received from her and commending her to God, he set out for Genoa, so
by his prompt departure he might make amends for his unseemly visit."
THE SIXTH STORY
[Day the First]
AN HONEST MAN, WITH A CHANCE PLEASANTRY, PUTTETH TO SHAME
THE PERVERSE HYPOCRISY OF THE RELIGIOUS ORDERS
Emilia, who sat next after Fiammetta,--the courage of the marchioness
and the quaint rebuke administered by her to the King of France having
been commended of all the ladies,--began, by the queen's pleasure,
boldly to speak as follows: "I also, I will not keep silence of a
biting reproof given by an honest layman to a covetous monk with a
speech no less laughable than commendable.
There was, then, dear lasses, no great while agone, in our city, a
Minor friar and inquisitor of heretical pravity, who, for all he
studied hard to appear a devout and tender lover of the Christian
religion, as do they all, was no less diligent in enquiring of who had
a well-filled purse than of whom he might find wanting in the things
of the Faith. Thanks to this his diligence, he lit by chance upon a
good simple man, richer, by far in coin than in wit, who, of no lack
of religion, but speaking thoughtlessly and belike overheated with
wine or excess of mirth, chanced one day to say to a company of his
friends that he had a wine so good that Christ himself might drink
thereof. This being reported to the inquisitor and he understanding
that the man's means were large and his purse well filled, ran in a
violent hurry _cum gladiis et fustibus_[53] to clap up a right
grievous suit against him, looking not for an amendment of misbelief
in the defendant, but for the filling of his own hand with florins to
ensue thereof (as indeed it did,) and causing him to be cited, asked
him if that which had been alleged against him were true.
[Footnote 53: _i.e._ with sword and whips, a technical term of
ecclesiastical procedure, about equivalent to our "with the strong arm
of the law."]
The good man replied that it was and told him how it chanced;
whereupon quoth the most holy inquisitor, who was a devotee of St.
John Goldenbeard,[54] 'Then hast thou made Christ a wine-bibber and
curious in wines of choice, as if he were Cinciglione[55] or what not
other of your drunken sots and tavern-haunters; and now thou speakest
lowly and wouldst feign this to be a very light matter! It is not as
thou deemest; thou hast merited the fire therefor, an we were minded
to deal with thee as we ought.' With these and many other words he
bespoke him, with as menacing a countenance as if the poor wretch had
been Epicurus denying the immortality of the soul, and in brief so
terrified him that the good simple soul, by means of certain
intermediaries, let grease his palm with a good dose of St. John
Goldenmouth's ointment[56] (the which is a sovereign remedy for the
pestilential covetise of the clergy and especially of the Minor
Brethren, who dare not touch money), so he should deal mercifully with
him.
[Footnote 54: _i.e._ a lover of money.]
[Footnote 55: A notorious drinker of the time.]
[Footnote 56: _i.e._ money.]
This unguent, being of great virtue (albeit Galen speaketh not thereof
in any part of his Medicines), wrought to such purpose that the fire
denounced against him was by favour commuted into [the wearing, by way
of penance, of] a cross, and to make the finer banner, as he were to
go a crusading beyond seas, the inquisitor imposed it him yellow upon
black. Moreover, whenas he had gotten the money, he detained him about
himself some days, enjoining him, by way of penance, hear a mass every
morning at Santa Croce and present himself before him at dinner-time,
and after that he might do what most pleased him the rest of the day;
all which he diligently performed.
One morning, amongst others, it chanced that at the Mass he heard a
Gospel, wherein these words were chanted, 'For every one ye shall
receive an hundred and shall possess eternal life.'[57] This he laid
fast up in his memory and according to the commandment given him,
presented him at the eating hour before the inquisitor, whom he found
at dinner. The friar asked him if he had heard mass that morning,
whereto he promptly answered, 'Ay have I, sir.' Quoth the inquisitor,
'Heardest thou aught therein whereof thou doubtest or would question?'
'Certes,' replied the good man, 'I doubt not of aught that I heard,
but do firmly believe all to be true. I did indeed hear something
which caused and yet causeth me have the greatest compassion of you
and your brother friars, bethinking me of the ill case wherein you
will find yourselves over yonder in the next life.' 'And what was it
that moved thee to such compassion of us?' asked the inquisitor.
'Sir,' answered the other, 'it was that verse of the Evangel, which
saith, "For every one ye shall receive an hundred." 'That is true,'
rejoined the inquisitor; 'but why did these words move thee thus?'
'Sir,' replied the good man, 'I will tell you. Since I have been used
to resort hither, I have seen give out every day to a multitude of
poor folk now one and now two vast great cauldrons of broth, which had
been taken away from before yourself and the other brethren of this
convent, as superfluous; wherefore, if for each one of these cauldrons
of broth there be rendered you an hundred in the world to come, you
will have so much thereof that you will assuredly all be drowned
therein.'
[Footnote 57: "And every one that hath forsaken houses or brethren or
sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands for my name's
sake shall receive an hundredfold and shall inherit everlasting
life."--Matthew xix. 29. Boccaccio has garbled the passage for the
sake of his point.]
All who were at the inquisitor's table fell a-laughing; but the
latter, feeling the hit at the broth-swilling[58] hypocrisy of himself
and his brethren, was mightily incensed, and but that he had gotten
blame for that which he had already done, he would have saddled him
with another prosecution, for that with a laughable speech he had
rebuked him and his brother good-for-noughts; wherefore, of his
despite, he bade him thenceforward do what most pleased him and not
come before him again."
[Footnote 58: Syn. gluttonous (_brodajuola_).]
THE SEVENTH STORY
[Day the First]
BERGAMINO, WITH A STORY OF PRIMASSO AND THE ABBOT OF CLUNY,
COURTEOUSLY REBUKETH A FIT OF PARSIMONY NEWLY COME TO MESSER
CANE DELLA SCALA
Emilia's pleasantness and her story moved the queen and all the rest
to laugh and applaud the rare conceit of this new-fangled crusader.
Then, after the laughter had subsided and all were silent again,
Filostrato, whose turn it was to tell, began to speak on this wise:
"It is a fine thing, noble ladies, to hit a mark that never stirreth;
but it is well-nigh miraculous if, when some unwonted thing appeareth
of a sudden, it be forthright stricken of an archer. The lewd and
filthy life of the clergy, in many things as it were a constant mark
for malice, giveth without much difficulty occasion to all who have a
mind to speak of, to gird at and rebuke it; wherefore, albeit the
worthy man, who pierced the inquisitor to the quick touching the
hypocritical charity of the friars, who give to the poor that which it